A day in the Lab

Author: Trent Papenmeier | Major: Chemistry | Semester: Fall 2023

I am Trent Papenmeier, a senior working towards a chemistry major in the Fullbright College of Arts and Science. I have been working under Professor Robert Coridan for the past year and a half. The Coridan research group seeks to develop hierarchically structured materials with optical and electrochemical functionality. I contribute to the mission of the lab with my independent research aims; the development of polymer nanospheres with a metal-semiconductor shell, and the integration of these spheres into a self assembled electrode. The hypothesis is by pacing these photocatalytic shells within a light-scattering structure, light can be concentrated at these shells to create “hotspots” for photochemistry to occur. If this hypothesis proves to be true, this project could contribute to developing solar cells that can function at higher efficiency and can be made with fewer metal catalysts

This project originally existed as a lofty idea of my research mentor but has grown in potential as I continue to work on it. I have developed a procedure to electrolessly deposit metal shells on polymer nanospheres, and have demonstrated the potential for these activated spheres to be integrated into methods of photoelectrode self-assembly. While there is certainly much potential for improvement, I can look back with pride at what I have accomplished in my time researching at the University of Arkansas. I also look forward to the next talented and inspired chemist who will continue and expand upon what I have done. Of course, only a fool would approach science single-mindedly. What I have done and what I have learned in the lab have been supplemented by peers. My research mentor, graduate students, and fellow undergraduate researchers, despite all having our own research projects; there is never any hesitation to bounce ideas off one another, collaborate on an experiment, or simply ask for help. At the end of the day, we are all a team and want each other to succeed as much as we want ourselves to. Without my fellow lab mates, I could not have hoped to achieve a fraction of what I have done. And of course a special thanks to my research mentor Robert Coridan for being a guide and an inspiration on this journey

Throughout my research journey, I have learned much. Beginning from the basics, the need to apply chemistry rather than just memorize it has changed the way I view learning. I have come to understand the relevance and importance of many of the simple, fundamental things about chemistry I took for granted when my experience was confined to a classroom. In addition, the Coridan lab has offered me an education I could otherwise not obtain as a chemistry undergraduate, teaching me fundamentals of theory and application of electrochemistry and photochemistry, topics usually reserved for graduate education. This holistic means of learning and working as an undergraduate researcher has been so gratifying, that I have made the decision to continue my education and pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry. As a researcher, my goal is to contribute to the breadth of chemical knowledge in the field of alternative energy. To do so, I will rely on the excellent base of understanding I have obtained as an undergraduate at the University of Arkansas.